Not so Christian (Peacemaker's writings suggest he's anything but a 'devout' Catholic)

Toronto Sun ^ | April 1, 2006 | Michael Coren

[rickmichaels]

My previous column was about the Christian Peacemakers and how enormous amounts of money and time were spent on rescuing them from their largely pointless and acutely political intervention in Iraq.

I also said their ultimately selfish antics distracted from the genuine need to help Iraqis and that because these men were western and middle class, they received special treatment in the media.

A week later, it is clear that Canadian James Loney in particular has been treated with a generosity and credulity that is at times quite bizarre.

Please, in the name of common sense, can we stop claiming that these men were naive? Perhaps foolish, possibly militant, but never naive.

They knew exactly what they were doing and also knew when to hide the truth, for example Loney's silence about his homosexuality when held captive by a gang of less than gay-friendly kidnappers. If they'd ever read Loney's writings in the left-wing Catholic New Times, they would have learned a lot about him.

In one of Loney's essays he is asked by his partner about the gay marriage issue.

"I told him I thought it was an important symbol in the struggle for queer liberation, but it wasn't something I desired for us or had energy to fight for.

"Marriage was a patriarchal institution which evolved historically to protect male property rights and solemnize man's tenure as king of the castle. I told him we needed to develop our own models that grew out of the shared experience of being gay, instead of storming the barricades of heterosexual privilege in the quest for equal rights."

Not exactly loving and non-judgmental language about marriage, is it? In fact, one could conclude that these were the words of some hard-line ideologue.

Then we have this notion that these Christian Peacemakers are devout Christians, with Loney described as a faithful Roman Catholic. Actually, faithful Roman Catholics behave like, well, faithful Roman Catholics.

For example, they may be homosexual, and if they are, they must, of course, be treated with sensitivity.

But if they live a defiantly homosexual lifestyle and reject Church and Biblical teachings on the issue they put themselves outside of Roman Catholicism. Nobody has to be Catholic, but if they claim to be they must try to live up to their word.

Loney's problems with the religion he is supposed to cherish, however, go beyond the moral.

"I avoid prayer like the plague" he has written. "The kind where you stop, sit or kneel, do nothing but be, even if for only ten minutes. The thought of fasting nauseates me, and as for Sunday Mass -- that weekly spiritual re-boot and virus check -- well, let's just say I've accumulated a significant inventory of mortal sins."

The man's patronizing tone is extraordinary. The Mass is, to Catholics, where the body and blood of Jesus Christ are made present for His followers. Again, nobody is obliged to attend each Sunday, but for a Catholic it is essential, and not dependent on arrogant whim. More important, it should be a joy to attend.

As for pacifism, there is peaceful language as well as peaceful action.

"Enemies are unfortunately very real, and they cannot be banished with a little bit of positive thinking", wrote Loney.

"Lovers, neighbours, children, parents, WTO officials, presidents, sexist pigs, red-neck racists, and strangers on dark street corners."

Pigs and rednecks? Children as enemies? Hardly the stuff of empathy and understanding. More like hypocrisy, instability and anger. Christian peacemakers? Let's be realistic. And let's ignore those who play politics and concentrate instead on genuinely stopping war and making the world a better place.

[BlessedBeGod]

The Mass is, to Catholics, where the body and blood of Jesus Christ are made present for His followers. Again, nobody is obliged to attend each Sunday...

The hell you aren't. You're required to attend every Sunday, and every Holy Day of Obligation, too. Otherwise it's a mortal sin.

[infowarrior]

In one of the rare instances when the islamofascist terrorists could actually have performed a valuable service to humanity by sawing off a few heads, they have failed miserably by releasing looney and his friends back into the civilized world.

Which, of course, is exactly why they did it...

the infowarrior

[sionnsar]

This left wing/homosexual hater of America sounds like the perfect candidate to be a left wing homosexual Bishop.

There has, in the U.S., been a drift of such from the Roman Catholics to ECUSA. How big it is I don't know, but once or thrice I've heard of such.

[bourbon]

ping.

[Grampa Dave]

"There has, in the U.S., been a drift of such from the Roman Catholics to ECUSA. How big it is I don't know, but once or thrice I've heard of such."

Some of the drifters claim to be members, others are playing the role of Priest or Bishop.

[NYer]

CINO Alert!

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

LOL.

I remember that cartoon.

Still amusing.

:)

[kcvl]

James Loney (born 1964) is a (gay) Canadian peace activist, who has worked for several years with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq and Palestine.

Loney was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. During his late teens he worked as a counsellor at Columbus Boys' Camp near Orillia, Ontario, on Lake Simcoe. (This is a summer camp for underprivileged boys, funded by the Knights of Columbus and staffed by senior high school students from various schools run by the Basilian Fathers.)

Christian Peacemaker (Getting in the Way of an Israeli tank demolishing Hebron's Palestinian vegetable market)

"Christian Peacemaker Teams maintains a constant international presence in At-Tuwani, to document the harassment suffered by villagers at the hands of solders and settlers."

"CPT is a peacemaking organization focussed on reducing violence and protecting human rights in conflict zones. CPT does not participate in any missionary activities. Christian Peacemaker Teams was founded in 1984 by three historic peace churches, Mennonite, Church of the Brethren and Quaker"

"Teams engage in regular spiritual reflection."

We are one of only a few groups that considers its mission to be the placement of trained peace workers in explosive situations for sustained periods of time to do "third party nonviolent intervention."

A prayer vigil brings the search for truth into the public place. Prayer vigils are not times to show off one's spirituality.

"Our experience is that violence can be disarmed with the witness to peace, truth, love and justice. The willingness to give life instead of taking life is very powerful."

http://cpt.org/corps.php

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

They shouldn't have even been there in the first place.

Does anyone notice the contradiction between purported sympathizers for Islamic terrorists embarking upon a mission to proselytize pious, Iraqi Muslims?

If they really supported Al Qaeda, then they would realized that they are the very missionaries/crusaders that Al Qaeda is attempting to exertiminate, and just stayed home.

Does this story sound fishy to anyone else here?

[truemiester]

You ain't a s*****g!

They seemed so full of vile and selfimportance it mad me sick.

[kcvl]

Two years ago, shortly before the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, CPT published a lengthy report alleging that U.S. forces were abusing detainees. CPT co-director Doug Pritchard told the BBC: "We were the first to publicly denounce the torture of the Iraqi people held by occupation forces." The organization has called for an end to what it still calls the occupation.

Doug Pritchard said even though CPT believes those soldiers are doing wrong by taking part in war

"We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq.”

******

Authors
Doug Pritchard

Our Vision
The vision of Every Church A Peace Church is the formation of new peace churches and the transformation of war-justifying churches into peace churches, so that the world will be turned toward peace as churches live and teach as Jesus lived and taught. We envision thousands of churches making The Peace Church Affirmation:

The Peace Church Affirmation

Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies as God loves us all, becoming a peace church to share in God’s work to save the world.

http://ecapc.org/associates.asp

[steve8714]

Those who drift that way are welcome to go. Sinful Catholics should at least admit we are such.

[redhead]

"In one of the rare instances when the islamofascist terrorists could actually have performed a valuable service to humanity by sawing off a few heads, they have failed miserably by releasing looney and his friends back into the civilized world."

Awesome! Standing O here...

[Brytani]

This guys's a Catholic???

2042 The first precept ("You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor") requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.82

The second precept ("You shall confess your sins at least once a year") ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism's work of conversion and forgiveness.83

The third precept ("You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season") guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.84